Lighting fixture having angularly upwardly directed spot lamps



Nov. 3, 1953 D. SOLOMON 1 2,658,137

LIGHTING FIXTURE HAVING ANGULARLY UPWARDLY DIRECTED SPOT LAMPS Filed May 12, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l OHM/5L SOZOMON IN V EN TOR.

Nov. 3, 1953 D. SOLOMON 8, 7

LIGHTING FIXTURE HAVING ANGULARLY UPWARDLY DIRECTED SPOT LAMPS Filed May 12, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 zMN/EL 5040010 I w I INVENTOR.

147 TOE/V65 5 Patented Nov. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics LIGHTING FIXTURE HAVING GULARLY UPWARDLY DIRECTED SPOT LAJWPS Daniel Solomon, Los Angeles, Calif., assigno'r to Wagne'r-Woodiixfi 00., Los Angeles, Calif., a. corporation of Galifornia Application May 12, 1950, Serial No. 161,545

9 Claims. 1'

The present invention relates to an improved lighting fixture particularly useful in illuminating large rooms such as, for example, the classrooms of a school.

The present invention contemplates the use of a series of conventional spotlights arranged generally in a horizontal line and directed upwardly to throw a beam of light directly onto the ceiling of the room, the axes of the projected light beam shafts being inclined with respect to the plane of the ceiling, and the light-beam shafts from alternate lights in the series of lights being crisscrossed.

An object of the present invention istherefore to provide a single lighting fixture for producing the above mentioned result.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved lighting fixture of this character which is sufiicient in itself to adequately light a conventional size classroom.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedlighting, fixture of this character which incorporates spotlights of the type in which the internal portions of the glass envelope are metallized to throw substantially all of the light in a directed beam onto the ceiling without any glare or direct light visible to the occupants of the classroom.

A further object of the present invention is to provide animproved lighting fixture of this character which produces generally a rectangular pattern of light distribution which allows more uniform lighting and illumination of the walls and ceiling of a room.

A further object of the present invention is toprovide an improved lighting fixture characterized by the high level of light intensity and the uniformness of the light on the blackboards of the classroom in which the fixture is mounted.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved lighting fixture of this character which requires but one electrical outlet per room instead of four or more required in other methods of classroom illumination.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved lighting fixture of this character from which. there is no direct reflection of light from transom type windows which are popular in present day classroom construction.

Still a further object of the present invention is toprovide an improved lighting fixture of this character which has the effect of a single light source as comparedwith a multiple light source, thereby tending to avoid distractionl The features of the present invention which 2 are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. This invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: I

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a lighting fixture embodying features of the present invention, a J 31 Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same taken in the general direction indicated by the arrows 2-2 in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line i4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 indicates the manner in which the lighting fixture is mounted' in a conventional classroom of a school, and

Figure 6 indicates the manner in. which the front and rear walls of the classroom are illuminated by the directed light shafts from the spotlights reflected from the ceiling;

The lighting fixture III, as indicated in Figure 5, may be of a length commensurate with the width of the classroom II and extend centrally and transversely thereof, the front wall of the classroom I I being indicated at I2, with the con ventional blackboards I3 mounted on such wall. Only one of such fixtures is required in a classroom and, as indicated in Figure 6, the front and back walls I2, IA have the light reflected from. the ceiling I1 onto the walls I 2, I4, as indicated by the lines I5, I6. It is thus desired to illuminate the. room by illuminating the front and rear walls with light reflected from the ceiling. This is particularly desirable since usually the front wall of the classroom has blackboard's I53 mounted thereon and it not unusual for the rear wall I4 to also have blackboards mounted thereon.

The lighting fixture as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings has mounted thereon seven conventional spotlights 20 of the type having the inner reflecting walls of the glass envelope metallized to throw a light beam shaft along the longitudinal axes of the light bulbs, such longitudinal axes being represented by the line 22. It is. observed that the. series of light bulbs 20 is mounted generally along a horizontal. line, such that the light beam shafts as represented. by the same line 22 meet. the ceiling as represented by the line 24 at an acute angle. Further, it is ob- Served that light beam shafts of alternate lights in the series are crisscrossed to make an angle represented by the angle A in Figure 3, so that alternate lights of the series project light beams onto the front and rear walls of the classroom respectively. It is noted that this angle A is in the order of 90.

The conventional bases 26, adapted to screw threadedly receive such light bulbs 20, are mounted on corresponding inclined transversely extending walls 21, 28, respectively, of closed sheet metal fabricated housings or channels 29, 30, respectively. These housings 29, contain the interconnecting electrical conduits 3!, 32 for purposes of concealment and elimination of fire hazards.

These housings 29, 30, which are enclosed of course at their opposite ends, are maintained in spaced relationship by the central "egg crate" or louvered structure 33 which comprises a plurality of transversely extending sheet metal plates 34 and a series of plates 35 extending parallel thereto. These series of plates 34, 35 may, for example, be joined at their junction or may be fastened within an open frame 35 (Figure 3). It is observed that this egg crate structure 33 is an open one, but a relatively small amount of light passes downwardly therethroughfrom the bulbs. This open egg crate structure is preferred largely because of its pleasing appearance, elimination of the glare which otherwise might exist, and further since it provides an open structure and since it does not allow the accumulation of dirt and dust or paper missiles and other objects which may be thrown up into the fixture.

The composite "egg crate construction 33 is secured to these housings 29, 30 as for example by bolts 31. The outer walls 39, 40, respectively, of housings 29, 30 are preferably vertical and have secured thereto at spaced intervals therealong the annular light shields 44, 42, which prevent an occupant of the classroom from viewing the front face of the light bulb and in general serve to prevent glare. These light shields 4|, 42 extend the full length of the fixtures as shown in Figure 2, and are affixed to the aforementioned walls 39, by a plurality of spaced brackets 43, 44, respectively. These brackets 43, 44 may comprise an integral part of the corresponding shields 4|. 42 and bent so as to be clamped to the side walls 39, 40 by bolts 45.

The lighting fixture structure thus far described is suspended from the ceiling l! by a pair of conventional tubular stems 46 each connected at its upper end to the metal canopy 41. The lower ends of such tube stems are connected to the corresponding laterally extending rectangular box members 48, as shown in Figure 4. Opposite ends of these laterally extending box members 48 are affixed to the longitudinally extending housings 29, 30 and are in communication therewith so that electrical conduit passing down through the hollow tube stem 46 passes through the box member 48 and into the housings 29, 30, where they are connected to the light bulb sockets. By this expedient all of the conduit is enclosed and in a position where fire hazards are minimized.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. An elongated lighting fixture of the character described comprising: a pair of housings which extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of said fixture, a louvered structure fastened to and between said housings and maintaining the same in spaced relationship, a series of spotlights mounted at spaced intervals along and on each of said housings and above said louvered structure, the series of spotlights on one of said housings being directed to throw light beam shafts transversely of the longitudinal axis of said fixture at angles of approximately with respect to the light beam shafts produced and projected transversely by the series of lights on the other housing.

2. An elongated lighting fixture of the character described comprising: a pair of enclosed housings which extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fixture, an enclosed transversely extending conduit box member extending between said housings and being in communication therewith, a tube stem in communication with said box and supporting said lighting fixture, means securing said conduit box member to said housings, a series of spotlights mounted on each of said housings with the longitudinal axes of the lights of one series making an angle in the order of 90 with the axes of the lights of the other series, and electrical conductors passing through said tube stem, box member and housings and interconnected with said spotlights.

3. An elongated lighting fixture of the character described for attachment to a ceiling of a room comprising: a unitary spotlight supporting structure, means adapting said structure for mounting on said ceiling near the center of said room, a first series of spotlights mounted at spaced points along the longitudinal axis of said fixture on said structure to project beams of light in a first direction at an inclined angle with respect to said ceiling upon which said fixture is to be supported, a second series of spotlights mounted at spaced points along the longitudinal axis of said fixture on said structure and arrange to project beams of light in a second direction also at an inclined angle with respect to said ceiling, said first and second directions making an angle in the order of 90 with respect to each other.

4. An elongated lighting fixture of the character described for attachment to a ceiling of a room comprising: a pair of enclosed metal channels which extend parallel with the longitudinal axis of said fixture, means maintaining said channels in spaced relationship and as a unitary structure, means adapting said structure for mounting on said ceiling near the center of said room, spotlight bases mounted on each of said channels with the longitudinal axes of bases on each channel making an angle in the order of 90 with the longitudinal axes of the bases on the other channel, said longitudinal axes of bases on said one and said other channels extending generally transversely of said fixture.

5. An elongated lighting fixture of the character described comprising: a pair of metal channels which extend generally longitudinally of said fixture, a louver structure positioned between said channels and fastened thereto to maintain said channels in spaced relationship, a series of lamp holders mounted on each of said pair of metal channels above said louver structure, the longitudinal axes of the series of lamp holders in one channel intersecting the longitudinal axes of the other series of lamp holders on the other channel at an angle in the order of 90, with the longitudinal axes of all lamp holders extending generally transversely of said fixture.

6. The invention defined in claim characterized by the fact that each of said channels have mounted thereon a light shield extending parallel with each of such channels.

7. In an elongated lighting fixture of the character described, a pair of parallelly extending enclosed housings which extend longitudinally of said fixture, a louvered structure extending between said housings and being fastened thereto to maintain said housings in spaced relationship, a cross housing extending generally perpendicular to the axes of said pair of housings and being in communication therewith, means securing said cross housing and said housings together, a tube stem attached to said cross housing at a point intermediate its ends and being in communication therewith, said tube stem, cross housing and pair of housings being adapted to receive electrical conduit for electrical connection with lamp holders mounted on each of said pair of housings, spotlight lamp holders mounted on each of said pair of housings, said lamp holders being arranged so that the spotlights mounted therein throw crisscrossed projected beams of light upwardly and transversely of said fixture in the direction of the upper end of said tube stem, and each of said pair of housings having mounted thereon a light shield which extends generally parallel therewith.

8. In an elongated lighting fixture of the character described for attachment to a ceiling of a room, a unitary spotlight supporting structure extending parallel with the longitudinal axis of said fixture, means adapting said structure for mounting on said ceiling near the center of said room, said structure including a pair of walls defining an interior space and each of said walls being inclined upwardly and transversely of said fixture, spotlight lamp holders mounted on each of said walls with the axes of the lamp holders on one wall making an angle in the order of 90 with the axes of the spotlight holders mounted on the other wall.

9. The arrangement set forth in claim 1, in which each of said housings includes walls generally upwardly and transversely of said fixture and spotlight lamp bases mounted at spaced points on each of said walls.

DANIEL SOLOMON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,784,171 Bertling Dec. 9, 1930 2,084,835 Browne et al June 22, 1937 2,331,811 Sprecher Oct. 12, 1943 2,341,895 Beck Feb. 15, 1944 2,418,283 Wilson Apr. 1, 194"! OTHER REFERENCES Publication, Curti Cove Lighting, page xr-154, Copyright in 1939 by Curtis Lighting Co., New York city. 

